5 comments about Ghost in the Shell SAC Complete 1st Season Collection Box Set.

1. This is the best anime on Adult Swim atm I feel. Samurai Champloo is good no doubt, but the storyline for GITS and GITS 2nd Gig are amazing. I own both box sets, all episodes and have watched both sets from start to finish. I am now re-watching the first episodes of GITS again. I cannot wait for more, buy this and you will not be dissapointed. Also GITS Solid State Society is just as good, but longer but the story rocks and it moves your through the movie. The scene with Togusa and his daughter will get your attention for sure.
   
   I need more GITS, hurry and make more episodes!!!!



2. An excellent series. The first season is highly enjoyable, though it focuses more on the specific events surrounding the Laughing Man incident than broad character development or exploration of the ramifications of the highly-plausible future world the series is set in.
   
   This series has more philosophical depth than any other I have ever seen. If you tend to get lost in the often-extensive dialogue you may not enjoy this as much.
   
   The packaging for the first season was also sub-par. The individual DVD cases come packed in a cheap paper box which is easy to rip, bend, or smash when opening and removing DVDs.
   
   That said, this is an excellent collection not to be purchased without the second season. Very enjoyable.



3. Very high quality series, the story is complex and involving, I was even able to get my mum engrossed in it. It's is a very rewarding wach because there's sctrong character development, genuine philosophical debate and amazing graphics and animation - just as in the original film.
   
   This review won't be popular because I'm going to point out things that your typical (male teenager) anime fan is too proud to point out. I am going to point out faults that people will notice when they watch, but i want to remind that this is a four star review - these weaknesses do not override the amazing storylines and characters, they simply knock off the fifth star.
   
   Despite the subtitles being far too wordy and moving far too fast (we had to pause-play our way through the many dialogue-heavy scenes) we got a lot out of the story. I would never watch this in English Dub (though that is the default) because I prefer seeing it the way the artist intended, but the English dubs are actually very good for a change.
   
   Once you can get past the usual sexism and stereotypes of anime, it is actually very enjoyable to see a strong female character in the Major, making strong decisions and having her orders followed without questioning her gender all the way through the series. It is unusual for anime to have such a strong flawless female character, but part of the reasoning i suspect, is that the Major is more than human, she's not mere-female, she's a cyborg.
   
   I can't belive noone's commenting on the ending. It's very open-ended, and anyone looking for resolution in the Laughing Man case may be disappointed, I was. I'm not usually into tying up all loose ends in such a complex series, particularly as there is another season of the show after this, but 2nd GIG focuses on a different case altogether. Just be aware that the Laughing Man arc is left open almost as if to let the character reappear at some stage in future series/films. But he is not a feature in 2nd GIG.



4. This is one of my favorite series of all time. There is really nothing bad with the exception of the episode titled 'Chat, chat, chat'. The show starts with a bang and does not let up as Mokoto and team move feverishly from case to case. The three main characters are wonderfully voiced in the English dub, surprisingly the Tachikomas sound better in the English dub also.
   
   I like the fact that the episodes are usually self contained with the exception of the Laughing Man arc. This is a cerebral, intelligent series that forces the viewer to expand their perception.
   
   FYI: Ghost in the Shell which is based on the Latin Deus ex Machina, in this series refers to the true protagonists: the Tachikomas. In the movie it was the Puppet Master who gained a 'ghost' or soul; in this series the Tachikoma's with thier superior artificial intelligence begain to show signs of a ghost, Motoko admits as much to them towards the climax. (no spoiler really)
   
   The only real beef with this season as opposed to 2nd Gig is the lack of a strong antagonist throughout the Laughing Man arc. There are plenty of beautifully written and protrayed secondary characters who are a delight to watch, such as Serano (of Serano Genomics) and Jameson (the fun guy in the small metal box). Many of the episodes serve to further develop the main chatacters with references to their past and/or their struggles in the present.
   
   Motoko is a brilliantly written heroine. I do approve more of her wardrobe in the 2nd gig, not because I didn't like her unitard but because she appears too feminine in the first series. The viewer is supposed to remember she is a woman, but in the 2nd gig you find yourself more involved with her character as the leader of section 9, not a chick in skimpy clothes.
   
   Batou is actually my finacee'f favorite character. He is technically the second most important character in the series, though I argue that Togusa steals the show later. He seems so perfect and unflappable at times that I really enjoyed seeing him in his own story arcs such as in episode 16 'chinks in the armor heart'.
   
   Togusa is my favorite and the only section 9 member without prosthetics. He also uses an antique revolver rather than the clip fed automatic pistol that is standard issue. His story arcs are much more involved and in depth and he actually 'stars' in more of his own episodes than any other character: episodes 4,11,20. In fact Togusa is who finally cracks the Laughing Man case and nearly pays the ultimate price as a result.
   
   The next major character is really a set of many, the Tachikomas. They are the true protagonists and the characters whom the anime is actually named for. They are childlike and curious with programming capable of expanding as they gain experience in the world. They each begin to develop singular personality traits despite their 'sharing' of all information (one always reads, one always uses a wrench as a horn...)
   
   Yoko Kanno is simply one of the greatest modern Japanese composers and the soundtrack is among the best ever written and produced. I highly recommend the CDs (many are included with the separate special editions).
   
   This review is rambling a bit, but let me also point out that my fiancee had never seen anime when I met her, on our third date we stayed in and she inquired about my disgustingly large anime collection. I played this and now she is an addict. So I recommend this to first time anime viewers as well as die hard addicts like myself.
   
   Pros: Masterfully written, great characters, lovely animation, stellar backdrops and scenery, music
   Cons: Only the Special Editions have the DTS sound (it is pretty amazing)
   
   Viewing Preference: English Dub - simply stated, this is the finest american voice cast I have encountered.



5. Contrary to what the editorial review says, SAC is not an offshoot of the Oshii film but a complete reimagining from the original Shirow Masamune manga. In mid 21st century Japan and after wars which have splintered the world and the people, complete cyberization is now possible thanks to technological advances and cyberbrains and memory/sensory augmentations are commonplace.
   SAC manages to be an excellent thriller/police procedural in a future that we can recognise. In a society where most people have access to cyberisation, this man-machine meld opens a wide horizon of possibilities but it also beckons hackers, intrigue, agents opposed to established power and plain old sadistic criminals. Humanity, in a word, is still humanity. This is the world cyber-crime specialists Section 9 move in daily.
   
   For those coming from the movie, SAC is lighter on the mood but doesn't lose the philosophical and puts it all in a contect of conspiracy. It can be quite a change of pace and it took me a few episodes to adjust. The GITS movie was an exercise in mood and ambience, much like the great Kenji Kawai music it has. Most of SAC's music is a mixture of rock/electronica and its driving beats establish the mood. Fortunately for us, the music is done by the amazing Yoko Kanno who is quite frankly one of the best, most innovative artists working in Japan today. If you've ever heard the quite different soundtracks to Cowboy Bebop, The Vision of Escaflowne, Earth Girl Arjuna, Wolf's Rain or even the one-off Magnetic Rose, you'll know what I mean. It's one of my favorite anime/movie soundtracks.
   Philosophizing is just now mostly done by little-girl voiced sentient spider-shaped tanks. It's AIs pondering of what makes human human. It's also humans living in machine bodies and how weird (or how natural) it can be. Very interesting stuff.
   
   On a final note, as a woman I couldn't help but notice that the world of GITS: SAC is violently a world of men. As a rule with very few exceptions, all people in power are men, all sex objects (whether flesh and blood, machine or both) are women. Most women who appear on the series are either victims, foils for the men or are there to play second fiddle. There is only one woman in power who appears on 2nd Gig (the second season) and she's widely held to be a puppet of her hawkish party.
   There is, of course, Major Motoko Kusanagi, the focus of the series, prime hetero male eyecandy and main gal whom the camera loves to watch lounging around her workplace in leotards and thigh-highs but who can pull back a helicopter with her bare hands. She could be much more but GITS can't shake its seinen roots ("geared towards males 18-30 years of age") most of the time.
   
   Still, it's a classic whom anyone interested in the current future of science fiction should watch.
   Very recommended.

5 comments about Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition).

1. Fritz Lang's Metropolis was a shockingly advanced film for its time; as a silent film released in 1927, it featured a $200 million budget, took two years to film, and made use of numerous trick composites, massive sets, and over 37,000 extras. Metropolis would pave the way for more recent futuristic tales such as Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) and Dark City (New Line Platinum Series). At its heart was the moral "There can be no understanding between the hands and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator." Lang's city of the future is populated with gleaming high rises and elevated highways inhabited by the upper class, but it is the faceless sea of oppressed workers that keep its mechanical heart functioning.
   
   Joh Fredersen is the brain behind the city, and his son Freder is blissfully ignorant of the lives of Metropolis's workers enslaved underground, until one day Maria appears with workers' children, calling them "your brothers." Freder's innocence is stripped away as he views an explosion underground, and his father's apparent lack of concern over the plight of the workers. Freder decides to switch places and become one of the nameless workers, all the while searching for Maria. Mad scientist Rotwang's laboratory influenced films such as The Bride of Frankenstein and nearly all other celluloid examples of what a mad scientist's lair should look like (mysterious bubbling beakers, glowing neon coils). Rotwang was in love with Freder's mother, who died in childbirth, and has created a robot in her memory. The rest of the plot involves a workers' uprising against Joh Fredersen.
   
   The original film ran 210 minutes, but due to negative corrosion, deterioration, and lost reels, a quarter of the film has been lost to the ravages of time. However, this 2001 restoration from Kino spliced together rediscovered sequences to bring the film up to a respectable running length of 147 minutes. There is a brief documentary (in German with subtitles) of some of the painstaking digital restoration process, along with before-and-after comparisons of the original damaged negatives.
   
   The allure of Metropolis is more in the power of its visuals and fantastic imagination rather than plot; I found myself somewhat lost, and the restored version uses added cue screens to describe action taken from "new" footage. It did seem to be overly long, but the amazing visual feats more than made up for a perceived lack of depth. The "overacting" style was common in silent films, as performers were expected to emote via body language, much like vaudeville performers would in order to reach the back row of seats.
   
   Metropolis is worth seeing at least once in order to appreciate one of the gems of German Expressionism, with its dramatic camera angles, highly stylized sets, and use of shadows and theatrics. The Kino restoration is amazing, and there are numerous bonus features such as commentaries, production stills, architectural sketches, costume designs, and various promotional posters that really bring the lost world of Metropolis to restored life.



2. From reading the reviews, it is obvious that there is more than one DVD transfer being offered at the same Amazon site. I just finished watching my DVD, the Kino Video 2002 version as advertised, and it was superb. But in reading the 1-star ratings, it is clear that we are not all watching the same version. Comments about blurring and inappropriate music just have to be about some other version.
   And by the way, the film itself is of course fabulous.



3. As the title implies, I'm not a diehard fan of this movie. I was just shopping for old movies to add to my collection and thought I should check out Metropolis. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this film or not; after all, it was made 80 years ago, and it's silent. However, after viewing the film it turned out to be better than I anticipated. The plot is strange and at times is a bit hard to follow, but the cinematography is amazing. I was glued to the screen during the opening sequence. If you haven't seen this, the movie opens with a bunch of workers headed to a sort of underground factory for a shift change. The movement of the workers was very odd but left me awestruck as did the Moloch machine and Tower of Babel sequences. It almost looked like some strange Pink Floyd video. There is no doubt in my mind that Germany would have rivaled the United States in cinema if World War 2 hadn't come along. If you are a sci-fi fan you must own this. This is right up there with the old Universal Pictures Frankenstein. It was weird but in a good way. I will definatly watch this again.



4. BEWARE SPOILERS
   
   Fritz Lang's futuristic Metropolis is set in as it happens something like the current era. Most of the population are workers who slave underground to keep the massive machine that is the city going while the privileged stay above ground and live hedonistic lives. It is impossible not to see this in Marxian terms, the prols exploited by the capitalist class. At the time of the film's production in Germany, there was indeed a specter haunting Europe and it was indeed the specter of communism. Curiously Lang ends the film with a blatant political statement. He has labor and capital reluctantly shake hands. I find this curious because there is little doubt that for the previous two and a half hours the film depicts the capitalist class in the person of Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel) as seeing the workers as mere automations to be exploited. I think Lang wanted to dodge the political implications of his film. I think he was less interested in ideology than in showing striking visuals of man in the world of machines, of humans as machines themselves, and other humans more like brains without bodies, wet wear blind to anything but production and keeping the hive buzzing.
   
   Metropolis is like a hive or an ant colony except that the workers never get to go out and forage. Their world is dark and steamy; they are for the most part without hope as they come and go with their heads bowed in submission.
   
   In another sense (and this metaphor is directly from the film) the workers are the hands of the body and the capitalists the mind. Maria says, "Between the mind that plans and the hands that build there must be a Mediator, and this must be the heart." Maria is a prophet who predicts the coming of this Mediator, who one might, in all innocence, believe to be a nice stand-in for, say, Jesus Christ. Politically speaking, then, perhaps what Lang is saying is that the war between communism and capitalism will eventually be mediated by the Second Coming. Expressing this commonplace idea with striking visuals rather than speaking it in so many words, exemplified the power of the relatively new medium of the "picture show."
   
   This is the first silent film I've seen in many years. It's a bit over the top in terms of acting, which of course was deliberate since facial expressions and body language were used to replace words that would have to be read. Modern audiences may find this convention comical or just weird. I found the scenes showing the characters running at something like one and a half times real human speed a bit amusing. I don't know enough about silent films to know whether that was deliberate or something Lang thought effective. Gustav Frohlich, who has the male lead, in particular is a frenzy of action and contorted facial expressions. Brigitte Helm, who plays Maria and her deadly clone (and the robot and the dancing woman as well) is even more over the top in her physical gyrations, but her performance stands out because there is nothing quite like it in filmdom, at least nothing that I have ever seen. It is both the heavy makeup and her wild, demonic (and seductive) expressions that allow us to clearly see when she is the evil clone and not the demur, heroic Maria. For me she was the most memorable part of the film.
   
   There is quite a bit of trivia and film history associated with this landmark film. The film seen today is a 2001 reconstruction of the original, part of which has been lost. The missing action is explained in text before going on to the next scene. Metropolis was said to be Hitler's favorite film, which doesn't surprise me, and it was the most expensive film made up until that time, and employed a huge cast.
   
   But see this for Fritz Lang's stunning and haunting visuals, which remain even to this day as striking works of art.



5. Fritz Lang created a utopia in which he did not believe. He ended his masterpiece film with a message which he thought hopeless in real society. Over thirty years after the film's completion, he stated in an interview how he envisioned Metropolis: "You cannot make a social-conscious picture in which you say that the intermediary between the hands and the brain is the heart - I mean that's a fairy tale - definitely. But I was very interested in machines." Deeper meaning must lie beneath the surface of this quote, influenced no doubt by the turbulent social, political, and economic climates present in Weimar Germany at the time the film was made. It is impossible to believe that Metropolis was simply a project made by a hobbyist, signifying nothing - which is what a face-value interpretation of this statement would conjure. Lang was making an idealistic statement film - a message to the squabbling masses of how they should act rather than how they are acting. The art, politics, and economic status of German society all played a roll in influencing Metropolis.
   
   Art
   
   World War I marked the end to the first phase of expressionism typified by art groups Die Brucke and Der Blaue Reiter, and heralded in the comparatively new medium of film as an art form. Major players in the world film scene were beginning to appear in the wartime years of 1914-1918, not the least of which was Hollywood in 1914. Until then, studios had relatively little control over the motion picture industry, films instead being produced by independent artists with limited funds. During wartime, the power of the studio system grew rapidly as film began to take a firm hold on the world as a legitimate form of entertainment. Out of these burgeoning enterprises, the German studio UFA, Universum Film AG, would rise to prominence after its inception in 1917. With the end of the war and the adoption of the Weimar Republic, German artists were once again able to focus attention to their trade. German expressionist painters who were interrupted by the war came back to a world changed by technology. They quickly embraced the medium of film for their own, employing UFA as their main base of operations. Expressionist painting was still fashionable, but the style was giving way to the newer trend of Dadaism, the so-called "anti-art." Film, however, was wide open. As an art form, film had not been explored by neither America nor Germany. Used mainly for escapist entertainment or newsreels, the moving image had hitherto not been used to express the deep emotions and subconscious layers of the human psyche as the canvas had. The Expressionists changed this. In 1919, Robert Wiene created Das Kabinett Des Doktor Caligari, which was more of a moving painting than anything that had come before. The Expressionists had created the world's first art film.
   Lang's inspiration has roots in numerous historic events of the time period, as well as social changes and art forms - especially German Expressionism. Indeed, Metropolis is often considered the last silent German Expressionist film; ending a legacy which began with Caligari, and continued on through Nosferatu: Ein Symphonie Des Grauens, Der Mude Tod, Mabuse Der Spieler, Faust, Der Golem, The Hands of Orlac, and Die Strasse, among many others. The art form would continue into the sound era with films like M (1931) and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933), both by Lang. Its influence would spread to present day American cinema as well, with clear examples in the stark contrast and expressive lighting of noir and neo-noir films like The Big Sleep (1946) and Sin City (2005), the surreal angles and set design of Night of the Hunter (1955), the dark and brooding plot of Blue Velvet (1986), or the expressive colors and sets of A Clockwork Orange (1971). Metropolis might have been the last great silent German Expressionist film, but it was certainly not the last expressionist film. The elements of Expressionism, which focus on heavy symbolism, abstraction, and the search for a deeper meaning to situations, played a role in Lang's choices as the director of Metropolis. Subtlety was difficult to convey on the silent screen, so to create an effective message film, the director would have to employ some very unsubtle tactics. As an art form, Expressionism is about as unsubtle as possible. Examples of this are the architecture of the city, with laser-like highways streaking across the screen, channeling the Rayonist movement which influenced Expressionist painting, the jagged crosses in the catacombs chapel, and Rotwang's house, which looks like a building straight out of Caligari. Babel reaches into the sky as the tallest object in sight. Even the name is expressive, referencing the biblical parable, and as a result being the embodiment of man's triumph over God. The biblical Babel was destroyed. Lang's is successfully completed - the tallest thing in the city. As far as the technical prowess of the film is concerned, Lang's passion for the project is indicated in the meticulous execution of his special effects and sets. Everything runs smoothly, and considering Metropolis was made in an era which predated most of the special effects techniques we know today, it is one of the most impressive films ever made; on par in terms of technical innovation with some of the greatest films in history, perhaps even Citizen Kane (a film also no-doubt influenced by Expressionism).
   The story, too, is highly rooted in expressionist philosophy. The idea of utopia was a staple in the dialogue of Die Brucke, the pioneering art group headed by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and generally considered the beginning of German Expressionism proper. The expressionist philosophy which embraced war in order to bring mankind closer to this ideal utopia is also explored. Metropolis is plunged into chaos when the working class rebels and wreaks havoc on the city, and only then do the people realize the key to unity: a mediator between the two classes. From chaos came order. This is what the painters of Die Brucke and Der Blaue Reiter hoped would result from World War I, and this is the premise behind the conflict in Metropolis. When Lang professed his disbelief in the film's message in his 1960s interview, it was after the message of Metropolis had been completely disproven. Not only did World War I not create the utopia the expressionists had hoped for, it had made the world far worse. World Was II was the wake-up call for Lang. With over 50 million killed, the war sent as strong a counter message as possible. There could be no mediator; if two groups hate each other enough, there is no force in the world which can stop them from killing each other if that's what they decide they want. Naturally, after witnessing such destruction, Lang would pass the plot of Metropolis off as a fairy tale. Seen through modern eyes, the film does seem overly optimistic for the future of mankind, but professes a future that is highly unlikely. If Lang meant in his quote that he felt this way at the time he made Metropolis, he was lying. At the time, he was as firmly rooted in the fundaments of expressionist thought as Kirchner was.
   
   History
   
   Glorious at the time, tragic in retrospect, the years of 1926 through 1928 saw a dramatic upturn in the German economy - although this resurgence would be short lived. After the crushing inflation of 1924, where a loaf of bread cost as much as one billion marks, the economy began to heal. Optimism was in the air and the dark, morbid atmosphere of Expressionist films of the early decade (Nosferatu, Der Mude Tod, Der Strasse, etc...) changed to decidedly lighter tones. Metropolis was one of several films that shared this feeling of hope. UFA switched focus from horror to epic films, of which Metropolis is more closely akin. Films like Niebelungen and Faust were adaptations of classic literature. It seemed that this new sense of idealism was the death of expressionism as the Germans knew it. Metropolis is a tale of idealism at its most dramatic. Although there is discontent within the working class, the concept of a mediator presents a solution so simple it seems absurd in the light of feasible socioeconomic reality. The middle classes seem content, although the film gives them little notice. The upper classes occupy the Tower of Babel, and are never portrayed, with the exception of the main character Freder, as being unhappy. The plot is an unrealistic account of the maintenance of a utopia. As Lang said, it is a fairy tale. But in the relieved haze of post-inflation Germany, Metropolis seemed like a celebration of ingenuity and German strength. After all, UFA could afford to make the film, reputed to be one of the most expensive silent films ever made. Little did the people know that 1929 would provide yet another disaster - one which would make the inflation of 1924 pale in comparison. The Great Depression ruined Weimar Germany and paved the way for the Nazi takeover. Metropolis, being made three years before the crash, seemed blissfully ignorant. There is no better evidence for this than the message plastered on the promotional posters for the film, which stated, "Metropolis, the city of the future, is the city of eternal peace - the city of cities in which there is no animosity, no hatred, but only love and understanding."
   Another strong influence on Metropolis was the contemporary political climate in Germany. The film portrays two social classes, upper and working, who coexist. Each is shown as necessary for the other's survival. The upper class (brain) controls the actions and organization of the working class (hands). Without the brain, the hands are unorganized and chaotic, as evidenced in their climactic riot. The working class in turn keeps the city from shutting down completely. This is evidenced when they destroy the Heart Machine and the power goes out. But these two groups also serve another purpose: they are both allegories for the various political parties in Germany. Near the end of the 1920s, the Weimar Republic had been overwhelmed with several political parties. The SPD (Socializimus Partei Deutschland), the KPD (Kommunizimus Partei Deutschland), and the NSDAP (Nationalsozializimus Deutscher Arbeiter Partei [Nazi Party]), were three among tens if not hundreds of parties warring for power over parliament. The communists are represented here by the working class, who live communally underground. The upper class were synonymous with the Weimar government: the socialist party. Left out was the middle class. In a case of life imitating art, this is what happened in Weimar society as well, at least with the petty bourgeois, who were the main constituents of the Nazi Party. Like in Metropolis, the dramatic polarities between the upper and lower classes provided enough of a distraction for the middle class to go relatively unnoticed. However, the situation in real life allowed the Nazis to come to power through gradual infiltration into the parliament. It would not be until the Great Depression, Hitler's dream come true, that the party would truly break through as the leader. But at the time Metropolis was made, the Nazis were going by relatively unnoticed. They were not nearly as strong as the ruling Socialist Party nor did they have the manpower of the communist party. In an ironic twist of fate the Nazi rule was consummated on the eve of an international disaster - something the early Expressionists philosophized as one of the instrumental steps toward utopia. Instead of a war, it was the great depression which launched Hitler's utopia - something drastically different from the one portrayed in Metropolis. The idea of a mediator is the only allegory for the middle class in Metropolis, and only appears at the end of the film. As was the case in real life, the mediator prevailed over both upper and lower, and took the form of national socialism. This is one reason why Lang believed that the moral behind the film was not realistic. A middle class was capable of keeping the upper and middle classes running synonymously, but this certainly did not produce utopia.
   
   Metropolis was an allegory for where Weimar Germany thought it could go. Envisioned as an idealistic portrait of future society, it turned out to be, as Lang called it thirty years later, a fairy tale. But while unrealistic, it remains one of the most important films in history for its technical prowess and its sheer scale. We remain hopeful even to this day that we may one day live in a city like the one portrayed in the film, but just as much as it was in 1927, this dream seems unreachable. There will always be conflict, whether a mediator is present or not. The ultimate proof of this is in our own minds. The id and superego cannot function without the ego, the mediator, but we as humans are still fundamentally flawed. We would never allow something as tranquil as a culture devoid of animosity. Our naturalistic instinct toward anger is the biggest reason why utopia would never work. We will not evolve into a race without anger because it is the aggressive who prevail in the world, and the process of natural selection will chose those who exude it. The world will keep getting worse, and there will never be a utopia.

5 comments about A Scanner Darkly.

1. The PQ is absolutely stunning. If I have to nik-pick; there are some minor 'perpective' issues in scenes with continuous pan. This is likely due to how the shots are being rotoscoped.



2. ...Capsule Review...
   
   I liked this film. Linklater manages to achieve a similar effect found in Goodfellas--people who literally amuse themselves to death. I can relate to the theme of friends divided and conquered. That said, if you don't enjoy drug humor or dark satire, steer clear.
   
   ...Main Review...
   
   I watch a lot of movies and I read a lot of books, but few affect me. Most stories are either pure thrills, full of bull puckey, or both. While Richard Linklater's latest film, A Scanner Darkly shovels plenty of both, it also offers more heart and tells more truth than most manage.
   
   Mainly because it adapts from Philip K. Dick, one of those writers who deserves to be much more well known than he actually is. A Scanner Darkly is the first novel I've read in years that has set me on fire. Published the year I was born, this tale of drug punishment flows with one humorous vignette after another, all atop a treacherous undertow.
   
   ...A Synopsis Darkly...
   
   The movie plays faithfully to the book. America is being destroyed by Substance D, a drug turning people into docile zombies. A rehab-industrial complex handles the mindless citizens, who become janitors and farm laborers.
   
   Especially around Southern California, and a ring of friends who deal in "slow death". Bob Arctor is a noob Dr. Feelgood who dates veteran Donna Hawthorn. Together they hang with Bob's housemates: the surfer-turned-addict Ernie Luckman, the mechanic-turned-paranoid Charles Freck, and fried intellectual Jim Barris.
   
   Bob rooms these crazy kids because he is also undercover agent Fred. Unfortunately, he has become closer to the dealers than to his fellow cops. Close enough to become as sincere an addict as a friend... As Fred climbs the chain, his grip on his own sanity begins to slip. And as Bob becomes close to his partners-in-crime, it becomes clear that one is out to burn him. Clear to all but Fred-Bob, whose drug-addled view of himself becomes very dark indeed.
   
   ...Don't Get High on Your Own Supply...
   
   In both book and film, Fred claims he needed the cover to blend in; an excuse so weak the audience jumps on him before Hank does. His real motivation remains unspoken: Fred is loyal to the law, but Bob is loyal to his people.
   
   Unfortunately, the film doesn't convey the love for these people that the novel implies. Most of Dick's soliloquies are reduced to voice-over monologues. More troubling, the characters antagonize each other more, as the film pumps up existing confrontations and introduces new fights. They sweat suspicion. Overall, the book characters are much more sympathetic, which reflects Dick's theme of kids punished overmuch for what they did. The novel prefers to imply tension through plot and scene development.
   
   Both approaches work, however, because the characters become so stir-fried that the most obvious signs of betrayal get lost in D-induced head trips.
   
   As real conspiracies become more murderous, one character calmly reveals that he rigged a hidden microphone, to be activated if the front door opened. To be sure intruders don't sneak in elsewhere, he left the front door unlocked, with a note for good measure. This scene is hilarious. But even as the audience belly-laughs, they might feel a knot of tension. Because Fred arranged for the police to plant cameras in their absence.
   
   Plans within plans, as the late Frank Herbert wrote. Our protagonists are more like those in a Douglas Adams novel, stumbling around a dark basement for a clue locked in the bottom of a file cabinet in a disused bathroom marked "Beware of the Leopard". As much as these scenes play for laughs, Linklater knew to keep the undercurrent of desperation.
   
   ...Window Pain...
   
   So Link manages a bit of character study. Like Bob, the audience gets to know these folks better than the "straight" people, who all look the same behind sunglasses, makeup, riot helmets, or scramble suits. The movie is structured so the audience can be sucked into the head-trips of the characters; I recommend doing this because otherwise some of the plot twists will seem too predictable.
   
   Personally, I found the movie easy to understand. People made the mistake of dismissing dialogue in Pulp Fiction as pointless, and so they missed all clues and a lot of spice. ASD also requires an attentive ear.
   
   It already attracts the eye. The film uses animation traced over live footage to generate a graphic novel texture. Actually, I didn't notice the overlay most of the time. It's rendered as life-like as possible while still being animation. However, the technique enables the film to reproduce effectively the hardware and hallucinations of the novel. Scramble suits and holo scanners look purty cool. Since America does not have a strong adult animation industry, at least in Hollywood, I'm pleased to see this attempt.
   
   On a final note, plenty of minor differences and surprises exist between the book and the movie. Linklater combines several characters, such as Jerry Fabin and Charles Freck. He updated most references to the 1960's and `70's, especially the slang. I found it amusing when, amid all of the futuristic gadgetry, a character pulls out a modern digital player. Dick still had people using eight-tracks in his future, you see.
   
   I don't think it's the great American Movie, but A Scanner Darkly inspired me to read the novel. I think many viewers can relate to the theme of friends who fall apart, and take the strength of the group with them.



3. This movie really makes you ponder. It's based off an old book that in my opinion was way ahead of it's time. It makes some interesting points about the society that we live in. I recommend checking out the bonus features and whatnot. The animation was trippy too. Really cool looking. Possibly not recommended for those who get sick playing video games. :P



4. ***** 2006. Based on Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly and written and directed by Richard Linklater. Los Angeles, California, near future. An undercover cop starts to take the substance D drug, a new dangerous substance. He suffers soon from hallucinations that prevent him to concentrate on his job. If I was more than reluctant and dubious after having seen Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf (Unrated Director's Cut), I don't have with A SCANNER DARKLY the slightest reservation. Richard Linklater's decision to use the rotoscoping animation device in order to recreate the paranoid world of Philip K. Dick was a very smart idea. Without a doubt, the film is a masterpiece.



5. This was a great movie. It had a specific message, and it really made me think and consider some of the things that go on in our world. I would definitely recommend it.

5 comments about Tank Girl.

1. There is no social redemption in Tank Girl. This movie will not make you a better person, it won't make you think, and you won't wake up two days later suddenly gifted with a deep and philosophical insight. But that's okay.
   
   It's goofy. It's silly. It's not exactly high art. But sometimes you just want a movie where stuff explodes, bad guys and girls get their comeuppance, and kangaroos quote Kerouac and LA cops.



2. I lived in England when this movie came out and I had read all of the comic books that were printed about this movie's title character, which made it even funnier when I watched the movie itself. A lot of the stuff in this movie seems a little disconjointed, but in and of itself, this movie is fun to watch. This is one of my favorite movies of all time, as a matter of fact. One of my favorite parts of the movie is right at the beginning and I say it to my husband -- it's the "You've been stealing water" part of the movie -- that is a signal for my hubby to get ready for some postive attention from me. I reccommend this movie for people who are of an open minded nature, because as I have noticed from some of the other people's reviews, some of their grammar is lack luster and they apparently didn't get any of the jokes or anything about this movie at all. I HIGHLY reccomend getting this movie to watch as a fun "Girl flick" with a guy, because of the action -- you can count on your guy friends being interested in this movie for the action sequences.



3. Good,campy comedy; Lori Petty is brilliant in fulfilling her roll as Tank Girl. She's a very Gwen Stefani-like persona here, both in her quirky dress and wisecracking personality. Refusing to submit to the evil powers that be, she not only resists her captors, but effectivly belittles them with her endless supply of one-liners. I couldn't stop laughing; even though she looked like Gwen, she sounded like Groucho Marx with her underhanded wisecracks. (How's that for a combo!) But in the end, we all know she's just a girl. Its all good fun--watch it when you are in a lighter mood.



4. A lot of people really don't like this movie. In fact it has made some of the lists of the worst movies ever made.
   
   I totally disagree!!! This is definitely a funky, campy, hilarious, silly, and predictable movie that is just plain fun! When I saw it in the theater we just about fell out of our chairs because we were laughing so hard. I believe the only reason we weren't thrown out of the theater is because everyone else was laughing and enjoying the movie just as much as we were.
   
   I do keep putting this one in the DVD player and watching it over and over. Defintely one to put in when you want to enjoy a funny movie and don't want to think.



5. "Tank Girl" has an interesting premise--what's a girl to do in a world where the water&electricity are owned by a few rich white men,especially a maniacal one like Malcolm McDowell? Like Mad Max, Tank Girl is set in post-apocalyptic Australia. Tank Girl (Lori Petty) is a loud,brash woman who defies societal convention,with the help of her friend (a bemused Naomi Watts) She also takes time away from battle to romance a mutant kangaroo man. The movie attempts a creative blend of cyberpunk,post-modern sensibilities,feminism,and politics... but doesn't quite work. Cartoons are spliced in,as well as the grunge rock of Courtney Love, and an Iggy Pop cameo.
   
   "Tank Girl" is one confused movie. It's ironic. The Tank Girl comics were considered subversive in the UK because they were accused of "promoting homosexuality" under the Iron Lady rule of Margaret Thatcher. "Tank Girl meetings" were a pseudonym for meetings of young lesbian/bi/questioning women. Instead "Tank Girl" is a fairly mainstream movie with some oddball concepts... that tanks.

5 comments about Ghost in the Shell.

1. If you are a looking for a good story, then this is for you. The movies from Oshii, always up the time and rise new production features. The Wachowski brothers allways must be tankfull with Oshii director.



2. What can I say? This movie spawned an entire new genre of sci-fi and cyper-punk. Every major sci-fi film maker in the last ten years had cited this as major influence: hello....Matrix!!!
   
   I admit that I like the Stand Alone Complex series a lot more, but this is certainly one of if not THE best feature length anime. There is a great synopsis if you would like to know about plot specifics.
   
   If you are a sci-fi, cyper-punk fan, buy this. If you like Eureka Seven, Cowboy Beebop, Ergo Proxy, Full Metal Alchemist; BUY THIS. If you like crazy, in your head, trippy movies: BUY THIS.
   
   Pros: Everything, it seriously gets inside your head.
   Cons: Dumb people cannot understand it
   
   Viewing Preference: Japanese with English subtitles



3. I'm not a big fan of anime, but I am a fan of Sci-fi. This film is very good. I reminded me of "Blade Runner". One of my favorites. I've heard comparisons to the "Matrix" films. I guess because of the whole cyberpunk aspect. Humans "jacking" into a computer with the use of an interface plugged into the brain, has been used in literature for years before this film. All things considered, this film is a treat for ears, eyes, and brain. It's thought provoking, and beautifully rendered. There is some nudity, and gore. Not intended for children.



4. The special edition 'Ghost in the Shell' is well done, however in some cases you will need to adjust the sound volume as it is very powerfull and maybe overdone as far as the balance to the effects, to voices. All in all the overal quality is great. I usualy prefer the original language versions but in this case the dub english speaking edition is fine and again done well enough to cover up that fact.There is also a second disc with interesting items and both DVD's have enough options that no mater what system you are running it can be adjusted for optional viewing. A great choice and enough sound power to shake the pictures off you walls.



5. This is the first "Ghost in the Shell" movie to have been based on the popular manga. It's set in 2029, apparently in Hong Kong, and follows the agents of Section 9 - a government agency that deals with unsavoury (and frequently criminal) elements. Life is very different : the internet plays an much greater role in life than it does now, while most people now have technology-enhanced bodies. These improvements range from controlled metabolisms to cybernetic bodies.
   
   Section 9 has a small, though clearly very effective team. Daisuke Aramaki is is charge, though takes no active part in the missions - a rather elderly gentleman, he deals with bureaucrats, politicians and reports. (In fact, he life seems to ne so busy that her doesn't always get to read the reports submitted to him). Major Motoko Kusanagi effectively operates as the team leader in the field. Kusanagi is a cyborg - a human brain fitted in a metal body that features some very cool optional extras. Batou is not only a very experienced officer, he is also - apparently - the closest thing the Major has to a friend. While he is primarily biological, he does have some quite significant implants - most obviously his eyes. Togusa, who has virtually no implants at all, is the most recent arrival to Section 9. He was recruited by Kusanagi herself, who views diversity as a strength. Ishikawa, meanwhile, barely appears at all - he acts as Section 9's computer expert and doesn't6 take part in any of the fighting.
   
   As the film opens, Section 9 has been helping the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deal with a couple of difficult political asylum cases. (The individuals requesting asylum were proving to be as unsavoury as those they were requesting asylum from...Section 9's involvement meant no awkward decision had to be made by Minister Nakamura). At the same time, Nakamura is building up to a round of very secret talks...disturbingly, it would appear that the talks and the delegates are now under threat. The Minister's Interpreter has been attacked, with the technological upgrades to her brain proving her weakness. These upgrades have been hacked into, by a shadowy terrorist known only as the Puppet Master. This process is known as Ghost Hacking, and is an attack on the victim's very consciousness. It allows the hacker to alter his victim's memories - essentially destroying their very identity. The interpreter, the Monkey Man believes, would have been used by the Puppet Master to kill the key delegates at the talks - and everyone involved with these talks is now under surveillance.
   
   There is very little to go on as to the Puppet Master's true identity. The "infamous Master Hacker", whose nickname was coined by the Ghost Pack, is believed to be American. However, any remaining details - age, background and (despite the moniker) even gender - are all a matter of speculation. However, this incident is the first confirmed Puppet Master attack in Hong Kong - and it seems clear that, for whatever reason, Nakamura's round of talks is his intended target.
   
   The film features some great artwork and is very atmospheric. With the Major, in particular, there is a very clear and real sense of isolation. This stems from the fact she is largely technological, rather than biological - "cyborgs", she says "have a tendency to be paranoid about their origins". Ironically enough, she's not alone in her loneliness - despite how much easier technology has made it to communicate, it's a mood that seems all too common throughout the city.

5 comments about Total Recall.

1. When a man goes for virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real, or does he?



2. Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is uneasy. Things are not right in the world. Sure, he has a nice place to live, a decent job in construction, and a beautiful wife (Sharon Stone) -- but he has a feeling he is missing out on something, that there is something false about his life, and that his destiny is elsewhere, maybe on Mars. He watches the news, reports of terrorist attacks, and reassurances of the government that everything is under control. He dreams of walking the red soil with a woman who is not his wife. Then, he hears about the company Rekall and their promise to deliver memories on demand, and takes advantage of their "special agent" package that will give him true to life memories of having been a secret agent on Mars, attached to a woman just like the one in his dreams. The hijinks that ensue, when he apparently finds out that he really IS a secret agent from Mars, whose memories had been erased, are lots of fun. What elevates the film above similar features like Running Man is that the action (which can get pretty violent) and adventure is tied to philosophical questions about the nature of memory and knowledge, and on the power of skepticism.
   
   You don't need to imagine high-tech corporations capable of implanting memories to realize that memory is a dubious source of knowledge. We remember selectively at best, and psychological experiments have shown that memories can be altered and manipulated. One of the basic questions the film poses is whether Quaid should trust his memory and instincts or his reason. He needs to consider which is more likely: that he is a secret agent whose memories have been erased to make him seem like a lowly construction worker or whether the memory implant he actually remembers having chosen and that would make him remember to have been a secret agent with a sleazy brunette girlfriend has simply kicked in and is malfunctioning. Reason favors the simplest explanation; but Quaid of course goes with his gut. Does he choose correctly?
   
   The plot of the film, then centers around the basic philosophical question how can we know what we think we know. It poses this question by means of a bizarre but entertaining science fiction scenario (drawn loosely from a story by Phillip K. Dick). That the question is not merely academic for Paul Verhoeven, however, is suggested by how similar the news reports from Mars are to those that we hear (and were hearing even in 1990 when the film was released) from the middle East. On Verhoeven's Mars, a group of rebels is fighting the governmental controls of society that are intended to secure its access to "Tribinium ore" -- a tremendous source of energy. Because these rebels lack governmentally sanctioned legitimacy, their struggles to save their planet and way of life are labelled "terrorism." The parallels are obvious. The most significant brand of skepticism raised by this film is not the academic form that asks "how can I know whether I am not dreaming" but the very healthy and necessary political skepticism that asks "how far can we trust the media to present the facts about our world in an unbiased way?"' While Quaid may well be mistaken in his belief that he is really a secret agent, he is certainly right to be troubled about the distortions regarding the Middle East (um, Mars, that is) that are presented by the popular media. As with most of the best of his films (Starship Troopers, Robocop, Black Book), Paul Verhoeven presents a powerful critique of contemporary society under the guise of a lightweight entertaining popcorn flick. Definitely one to watch, both fun and enlightening.



3. What if you could have memories implanted? What if the implanted memories were so real that you could not tell the difference between the implanted memories and reality? What if you went to a place that implanted such memories and when you woke up, you discovered that you had lost your sense of reality and you no longer knew who you were?
   
   Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a laborer living an apparent life of ease (and luxury - laborers must be paid really well in 2084) with his beautiful wife Lori (Sharon Stone). Life is good for Douglas and Lori, until Douglas gets it into his head that he wants to take a trip to Mars. Of course, Douglas is unable to go to Mars (Lori does not want to emigrate to Mars), so Douglas heads off to Rekall to get a brain implant.
   
   Implanted memories are no big deal. You go in, they put you under, you get an implanted memory, and you go home thinking you had a great time on Mars. Douglas chose to be a spy and have a beautiful girlfriend. Unfortunately, the friendly folks at Rekall discover that Douglas had already had an implant and their attempt to implant a new memory was creating problems in Douglas's brain. However, the people at Rekall are able to cover up the problem and Douglas seems to walk away from Rekall without problems.
   
   Unfortunately for Douglas, his wife is quite upset that Douglas went to Rekall. So upset that she works Douglas over. The next thing Douglas knows, a bunch of guys with really big guns are trying to blow him away and he is running for his life.
   
   Douglas can only do one thing. He heads for Mars and the answers to his questions. Things on Mars get even more interesting. A man with a dictator's power, Vilos Cohaagen (Ronny Cox, "Deliverance" and "Beverly Hills Cop"), controls Mars. Quaid seems caught between mutants, Cohaagen and Cohaagen's henchmen, led by Richter (Michael Ironside, "Scanners," "Watchers," and "Starship Troopers"). Of course, Quaid's murderous wife is still running around. Then there are the aliens. You will have to watch.
   
   This movie is filled with action and allows you enough time to wonder what is real and what is fantasy, nearly to the end of the movie. I thought the special effects were quite good for 1990. There are places where you can easily see that a set is a miniature, but other miniatures are beautiful and wonderfully meshed with full-sized sets.
   
   Director Paul Verhoeven and a team of writers did a wonderful job of building on a 1966 Philip K. Dick short story, "We Can Remember It for You." Even with some dated effects and styles, the movie still plays well, especially once the movie shifts to Mars. I absolutely loved the action-packed ending, wondering just how Quaid was going to survive. Fans of Philip K. Dick, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin and science fiction movies have to see this excellent movie, one of Arnold's best.
   
   Enjoy!



4. This is a great movie with an interesting plot. I've seen it several times and each time I see something that I missed before. It's a must-have for any movie collection. I think it's one of Arnold's best.



5. TOTAL RECALL is a flawed masterpiece, marred by multiple errors of aesthetic judgment and flat out absurd moments. Nonetheless, it raises a host of wonderful questions, has a huge number of memorable moments, and is arguably Arnold Schwarzenegger's best film after the first two TERMINATOR movies.
   
   Although the story doesn't stay especially true to the Philip K. Dick short story upon which the movie was based --"We Can Remember It For You At Wholesale" -- it does contain the endless self-referentiality found in Dick's best stories and novels. Construction Worker Douglas Quaid (it was Quail in the short story, but the studio thought it might be viewed as a slap at then-vice president Dan Quayle goes to a virtual reality company named Rekall that provides the imprintation of fake memories of holidays. Having had persistent dreams of Marx, he wants a holiday to Mars. After some prodding, he agrees to pay for some extras, namely, an adventure package, in which he will feature as the hero in an espionage tale featuring resistance fighters, alien artifacts, a brunette who looks like the one who has been featuring in his dreams, and will get to save the world. But shortly after being placed in the equipment things start going wrong because it turns out he has already had false memories implanted. He quickly finds himself chased by the authorities before going to Mars where he meets the brunette of his dreams and with the use of alien artifacts saves the world. Or does he? Any viewer will be wondering along the way whether any of this is real or whether this is just his virtual adventure holiday. The film ends with Quaid wondering whether any of this truly was real or whether it was just the programming. And we are given no answer.
   
   TOTAL RECALL was one of the very last important science fiction films made before the advent of CGI. It was one of the last to employ primarily miniatures and matte paintings rather than SCI. Even BABYLON 5 only three years later on television would use crude CGI for most of its special effects visuals. In this way TOTAL RECALL is the end of an era. Only a year later TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY would be released. Many of its greatest special effects were CGI. So in two straight films Schwarzenegger helped close one chapter of SF history and opened another.
   
   The problem with TOTAL RECALL is that there are just too many moments that don't quite work. The inhabitants in the mutant section of underground Mars are just too comical self-indulgently mannered to contribute much to the film. And the animatronic rebel leader Kuato, who is inextricably attached to the body of another person, is easily one of th emost ludicrous SF creations since the original THE FLY, where at the end of the film we see a fly with the head of a screaming David Hedison, as it is about to be eaten by a spider. There are a host of terrible little lapses in judgment like this. The most unfortunate might be the climax of the film, as Quaid has turned on generators that will oxygenate the atmosphere of Mars. The ludicrousness comes not from the amazingly rapid creation of a breathable atmosphere for the planet, but from their completely ignoring the fact that the surface temperature of Mars is roughing that of Antarctica in the middle of winter. The visuals of Arnold and his female friend as they roll on the surface of Mars has to be one of the silliest sights in the history of big budget films. In real life they wouldn't have had to worry about air pressure; they would have frozen solid in only a few seconds.
   
   All in all, this is both a truly rewarding and an immensely frustrating film to watch. It contains both a host of truly remarkable and utterly horrid moments. For me the good outweighs the bad and what we see in the end is a fascinating if undeniably flawed film.

5 comments about Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. - 2nd Gig (Complete Collection).

1. The product was all that I had hoped for and even arrived earlier than expected.



2. Fits well with the series, though it can feel like little more than an elongated episode. The DVD I ordered from Amazon was defective; however, Bandai replaced it without giving me any static. If you enjoy the other movies and the 2 seasons this is a nice addition to your collection, but do not expect too much from this movie.



3. When I first saw the "Ghost in the Shell" film back in the nineties, I was not impressed. I simply did not get why the film was so lauded, as I found it boring and the characters unappealing. What a change 10 years and a different format can make (not to say that Stand Alone Complex is a mere rehash of the movie). I am now a "Ghost in the Shell" fanatic, and the 2nd Gig is the best thing to come out of the franchise.
   
   After the success of the first season of the GitS TV series, a second season was commissioned, and this stellar series is the result. The first season laid all of the groundwork (beautiful animation, a complex plot, a fascinating near-future world, and characters you really felt for), and the 2nd Gig takes everything to the next level. The already solid production values have been improved upon, and the slick animation and detailed designs give the impression of a feature film. This is especially noticable in the wide shots and the action sequences (which are thankfully more frequent and more visceral).
   
   All of the members of Section 9 are back (including the Tachikomas!), and despite their gruff exteriors they really grow on you. You can feel the comraderrie between Major Matoko Kusanagi, Batou, Togusa, and the rest, and you find yourself really investing in these people's lives. This time around, the story begins with a group calling itself the Individual Eleven taking over the Chinese embassy in Japan. Yet there's something bigger afoot, and by the end of the series the political intrigue and terrorist actions have convincingly and seemlessly escalated to a point where war in emminent. The 2nd Gig also introduces two fascinating advesaries for Section 9, a governmental information specialist named Ghoda (who has an awesome character design) and an intriguing rebel name Kuze who may not be all bad.
   
   As before, the main story episodes are broken up by a series of stand-alone episodes that help to expand and explain the world of Ghost in the Shell while providing plenty of solid character moments. The thing I love most about 2nd Gig is how at their heart, most of the stand alone stories are simple police procedurals that can be enjoyed as just that. However, every single one of these standalone episodes raises ethical and moral questions that will really get you thinking about the world we live in today and what it means to be human. And sci-fi geeks will have lots of fun deciphering what all of the technobabble refers to, as it is never explained to the audience (but its meaning is readily apparent to anyone who really pays attention).
   
   "Ghost in the Shell SAC - the 2nd Gig" is a rollercoaster of a ride that provides plenty of thrills and political intrigue. But what elevates it to a must-see is the way it challenges you to think about life and the direction our world is headed (the show raises so many fascinating questions about technology's increasing role in our society) while still providing first-rate entertainment. It is also populated with characters you truly to get attached to without realizing it. In fact, I almost cried at not one but two episodes, which I never do. Not too shabby for a sci-fi cartoon, huh?
   
   If you have any interest in science fiction or anime, this set is a must-purchase. It's a great deal, and the DVDs have a good amount of extras in the form of cast and crew interviews.



4. After all the positive reviews and my wife away for a few days I thought I'd geek out on some animated sci-fi goodness but . . . yikes! I couldn't tell what was going on about. . . 90% of the time. The "animation" most of the time consisted of slightly panning stills where only the character's bottom lip would wiggle slightly. . . Robot nurses with dental floss for uniforms? Robots that act like little kids and get NO reaction from anyone with this behavior!?! People putting "cyber" parts in their brain that can be hacked just by receiving a call phone call? Did none of you watch this? It was utter stupidity. . . Big thumbs down for me.



5. Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig is a great anime series and a great television show period.
   
   Although I personally enjoyed the first season's classic detective yarn slightly more, the monologues were heavy and the action sparse. SAC 2nd Gig ups the action this time around as it is more of an espionage and political intrigue story, although the elements of mystery litter throughout. This should please fans who were iffy about the films and the talkiness of the first season.
   
   The Box is a heavy duty casing with magnetic latching flap. Whereas the first season box set was wrapped in a flimsy disposable wraparound, 2nd Gig gets it right for the truly serious collectors.
   
   Rarely does a television show captivate me as much as this one. With the exception of the new Battle Star Galactica, I can't think of any other series which has blown my mind and entertained me at the same time as much as this one. If you like cop drama with a hint of sophistication and a bit of action, then this series is for you.

5 comments about Appleseed (Widescreen) (2004).

1. This movie is great! The animation style is great along with the action and Deunen's mad fighting skills!! I mean, a forehead shot while diving backward? Insane! Does anyone know what E.S.W.A.T. stands for anyway? Some high-tech version of Special Weapons And Tactics, perhaps?



2. I am glad that I 'flixed this film before purchasing. It was entertaining, but I have little desire to see it again. There were several holes in the story and the characters were flat and uninteresting. The theme could have been made into a great sci-fi anime series and I hope that this will be the next step, that and going to a hand drawn style rather than CG.
   
   If you want to see a CG film that is just as pretty (or more so) then check out FF7 Advent Children. Guaranteed to rock your world!
   
   Pros: Pretty CG, action, good theme and story
   Cons: lots of loose plot threads, dull characters, too short, needed fleshing out
   
   Viewing preference: Japanese with english subtitles



3. This was very enjoyable and satisfying.
   
   The case is the finest I have ever seen.
   
   The content on the bonus disk is fantastic too...
   
   This entire work says, very simply: "Someone Cared Enough to pay attention to everything and get it right."
   
   The few criticisms that one might have over it not being exactly like the original Appleseed VHS back in the day, can be addressed by saying simply that it is 2008 not 1988.
   
   The fact that the story, character design, and over all impact of the original work was retained is good enough for me.
   
   The new take on this material is fresh from every perspective, without destroying what was truly the core of the original Anime.
   
   I have watched this 3 times since purchasing it and it is beautiful and exciting.
   
   Worth every penny. I'm just picked up the Appleseed ExMachina collectors edition also. I'm excited to watch it.
   
   :D



4. Mind blowing... It is just AMAZING the kind of animation achieve on this ANIME/movie. Watch it! Own it!!! It reminds me of my ROBOTECH days...



5. By the end there just wasn't enough to keep me entertained and I found myself growing bored with it very quickly. The break neck action and interesting concepts were fun at first but by the end, I really felt like I needed more and this feature wasn't going to provide it. If you were a fan of the manga, you'll probably be a fan of this feature as well but otherwise this is really just a release for people who are looking for some decent mech action without much story to bog you down.

5 comments about The Ultimate Matrix Collection (The Matrix/ The Matrix Reloaded/ The Matrix Revolutions/ The Animatrix).

1. THIS SELLER SHOWED IMPECCABLE PROFFESSIONALISM AND THE PURCHASE WAS SENT IN THE TIME THAT WAS STATED. I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE THIS EDITION. I AM PLEASED TO HAVE THIS IN MY COLLECTION.



2. This is a great thrilogy, great actors, great directors, great writers, and great story, this are the best movies, ever, talking about ciencie fiction, or relogion??,



3. I am a huge fan of the Matrix and a huge fan of DVD's [I own this set and the individual DVDs as well] I watched the entire set over a span of three days. The "special features" are filmed more as documentaries. It was also fun to see Adam Savage [from Myth Busters] as a prop builder. My only critique, I have never like the cardboard folders that DVD's come in as opposed to plastic cases. I have removed my set from their original packaging and repackaged them in actual DVD cases.



4. The Matrix is classic sci-fi and rather than go into a rant about how amazing these movies are and why, I'll leave you with two simple words: BUY THEM.



5. Not just an action flick, this film is replete with spiritual metaphors and subtle messages. Neo (an acronym for "One") finds himself falling down the proverbial rabbit hole as he learns the true nature of reality.
   
   He is believed to be the one who can break the system (aka "The Matrix") but he has to go through many trials and tribulations before he can even come close to reaching that state. Some would say this film shows what it may take to release the ego, but you will have to make that discernment yourself, if you so desire.
   
   If you don't like action movies or violence, then you can either fast-forward through some of those scenes or put it on mute and read the subtitles. Actually, I recommend watching it with the subtitles because there's so much spiritual depth to this movie it's nearly impossible to get it all in just one viewing, let alone several.

5 comments about Vexille - Movie.

1. During the opening 20 minutes, I had fears Vexille was a soulless action flick. The graphics (it is computer generated, after all) look like what we might see at the end of the Playstation 3's lifecycle, or in the next generation of consoles, not as impressive as, say, Advent Children, yet they are extremely expressive, bringing us elements from hand-drawn animation. The characterization is, at times, shallow, and the storyline trite and at firstly nonsensical, but by the end of the film, viewers will find themselves impressed by how everything has come together, given something moving to hold onto that was more memorable and interesting (at least to me) than the lauded action sequences, sort of an allegorical analysis of what it is to be human, in the standard Japanese mold of never giving up, and isn't that why we like a good story anyway, to learn more about ourselves?
   
   Lovers of Japan might be especially affected. I was.
   
   As far as the voice acting, I can't comment on the English, as I viewed it with the Japanese dialog on.



2. It's from the creators of Appleseed, and though Appleseed wasn't phenomenal, it was more entertaining than this effort. That's not to say that Vexille is a bad movie, but gosh are there quite a few things wrong with it.
   
   For starters, the animation, while good in part, just isn't quite there yet. Some scenes looked fantastic, and others look plain unfinished in their presentation. Since Appleseed was a while ago now, I expected this style to be near perfected as it were, and this wasn't the case. Many times things took an all-too cel-shaded look, which clearly the movie wasn't try to present. That said, other parts looked wonderful, with snowflakes being brushed off a windshield near the beginning with no obvious repeating snowflake pattern as other animators are wont to do to save animation time. I mostly just wished the characters were a little more organic... ( for example the animators really weren't even trying during the one kiss in the movie...)
   
   But there are worse problems than the animation: Even if you follow things very carefully from the get-go, confusion is bound to ensue for a good part of the start of the movie. The problem here stems in great part from a language barrier. If you watch this movie in the original Japanese track with subtitles (as you should!), the issue is that the Americans (our protagonists for this movie) for no apparent reason speak wonderful Japanese in a decidedly Japanese accent, because... well... the movie features an entirely Japanese voice cast. Now, if the antagonists of this movie are also Japanese..., well, you see the problem here. You're not entirely sure who's whom until things really get rolling.
   
   The other issue is that the movie starts off at a decent pace, and then slows down to quite a crawl. A little more action would have really helped, especially since what action we do get is very-well done, Matrix-ish, over-the-top, slow-moed etc. Toward the end, though, things picked up nicely, though the ending narrative (I knew it was coming, too) is an utter cliche.
   
   And lastly, the movie proudly displays Paul Okenfold as providing the original score for this movie. While in theory this is a great thing, it sounded like (pun intended) Paul wasn't sure what to do with this movie, as the soundtrack for the first 80% of the movie is absolutely awful. Some scenes that could have been wonderfully dramatic are shattered by techno poop. Yes, techno poop. It's a new genre, where you merge techno and poop and call it music. It's a real shame, too. But with that said, the climactic scene has some great, great beats that really serve to increase the mood. I was VERY into that final scene, let me tell you, and the music played a huge part in that.
   
   So, overall, not a bad effort for a movie. Still feels a little same-old in terms of anime, but worth a view.
   
   3/5



3. Vexille is an interesting showcase for CGI anime. The animation in parts was very impressive, however the storyline was disjointed and implausible. The action sequences were well done but lots of the dialogue didn't really go anywhere. Overall, its light entertainment but not completely satisfying.



4. I'm not an anime fan. But I gave 'Vexille' a shot as it was not traditional anime as it was fully rendered CGI style. While some of the visuals were pretty nice, this film did not change my view on anime. There's some great looking stuff going on, the music isn't bad, but the story/plot is absolutely incomprehensible.
   
   'Vexille' is a pretty decent visual treat, but if you are looking for some substance, then skip this one.



5. It is 2077 and Japan has checked out of the world because of a moratorium issued by the U.N. on advancing robotic research. They (the rest of the world) didn't like the biological direction the Japanese were taking with their robots, so the Japanese developed an electrical magnetic field which shields their country from both satellites and outsiders.
   
   Now, because of a raid in the States gone wrong, the U.S. has discovered the Japanese are violating treaties and decides to infiltrate the county by sending in their top agents, a group called SWORD. Their job, find out what Diawa Robotics are up to.
   
   Vexile and her main squeeze Leon are among the team that goes in. However, they're ambushed on arrival, Vexile gets away, Leon is captured and the rest of the team is killed. Vexile wakes up in a very different kind of Tokyo that was there ten years ago and now the job to find out what is going on is left to her. Plus, her problem has gotten a little bigger, now the fate of the world is in the balance. If she fails, everybody dies.
   
   I liked this movie a whole lot more than I thought I was going to. The animation was first rate, the soundtrack outstanding and those guys working the Foley box (the sound effects people) really did shine. The movie has a very fast pace and I thought it was stunning.